Box



Feb. 13, 1940. E. n. s'rlvERs 2,190,199.

BOX

Filed Feb. 2l, 1935 INVENTOR. f/R l?. f7/VERS.

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Patented Feb. 13, 1940A UNITED; STATES PATENT oFl-lcs l aisance i nox Earl B. Stivers, Rockaway, N. J., assigner to Stapling Machines Co., a corporation of Dela- This invention relates to boxes and particularly to wirebound iiberboard boxes.

It is an object of the invention to construct a box end and incorporate' it in a box in such manner as to'increase the resistance to rough handling of both the box end and the box as a whole.

hIt is a further object to f orm the box end in .such manner as to increase'its resistance to buckling under stress. It is a further object to provide a strong iiberboard box end from a minimum amount of material.

One illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing,y in whic Figure 1 is a perspective view of one type of wirebound iiberboard box embodying the invention, certain portions of the box being broken away to show the interior of the box end and zo the manner in which it is incorporated with the box sides.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an end section for the illustrative box, said view showing the end section in the flat and before its extremities are bent 4for incorporation with the box sides.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of' the illustrative end section with upper and lower iiaps bent at right-angles to the body of the section for incorporation in the box. i r

As conducive to a better understanding of this invention it may be noted that wirebound ilberboard boxes when subjected to rough handling such-as being rolled about or dropped on an end or corner.V fail principally at the ends because of buckling or crumpling of the iiberboard in the end section, or because of displacement of the flberboard end section in its, relation to the side sections. y j 4 A p Various means and methods havebeen utilized 40 to stien andreenforce the iiberboard ends to strengthen them against the failures referred to above. Such means and methods have involved theuseof battensorstrengtheningstripssecured to one 'of the faces of the end section, or the increasing oi the thickness of the berboard in the end section. While the various strengthening means and methods heretofore employed have been to a certain extent successful, they have all beentoo expensive to permit any extensive use otthem.theaddedstrengtheningstripsorin creasedthickness of the iiberboard. rendering the construction prohibitiveiy expensive for use' ineheapcontainersofnberboardcon- Thepreseztinventionisintendedtoprode a fiberboard end section of suflioient stiffness and strength without material increase in the cost.

In Fig. l is shown one type of wirebound berboard box comprising a sheet of iberboard I for the four sides of the box bent integrally over I the box corners and preferably overlapping at the closing corner edge. as shown at 2. The berboard side material I is supported at each end of the box by cleats 3, preferably of wood, which are stapled to the side material I by staples l 4. Encircling the side materiali are flexible binders 5 (preferably wires) some of which encircle the box in the plane of the cleats 3 and are stapled to the side material I and the cleats 3 by the staples 4 which straddle the binder 5, pass u through the side material I and anchor in the cleats 3. The binders intermediate the end binders are stapied to the side material I by other staples 4 which straddle the binder i, pass through the side material I and are clinched on 20 the under side of the side material I.

The ends of the binders I may be provided with interengageable bights or loops 3 to close the box. l y Y The end openings of the box are closed by end 25 sections positioned inside the end frames formed by the cleats 3. Each end section is preferably positioned substantially in contact with the inner faces of the cleats 3 and secured in such po sition by the fastening means hereinafter de- 30 scribed.

Referring to Fig. 2, the illustrative end section consists of a sheet oi ilberboard 1 having extensions or iiaps 3 at each end. The iiberboard is creasedasatlitopermittheextensionsor 35 flaps to be bent at right-angles to the sheet l. as shown in l'ig. 3.

The illustrative means for fastening the end section to the box sides consists of two wires I3 4sta'pled in spaced relationship to one side of the 40 ""the box, While the outer face of the sheet 'I with the wires I secured thereto, rests against the inner faces of the end cleats 3.

It will be understood that the end sections are inserted and secured to the side sections before the top or lid of the box is lowered into closing position.

While the aps or extensions 8 of the end section need not be secured to the side material and may merely extend inwardly in contact with or in close proximity to the inner surface of the lside material I, such flaps or extensions so located nevertheless greatly stiffen and strengthen the fiberboard sheet lv and increase its resistance to buckling or crumpling under stresses and strains.

Actual tests establish that boxes equipped with ends having the extensions or flaps 8 of this'invention have from 44% to 131% greater resistance to rough handling .than the same box equipped with ends which are not provided with extens'ions or flaps 8.

The tests referred to were made in a 14 ft. revolving drum in which boxes loaded with the same contents were tested to destruction.

The surprising increase in resistance to rough handling of the ap end construction as compared with ends having no flaps is due partly to the contact between the aps and the side material I, and partly to the contact between the aps and the contents of the box, but primarily to the stiffness added to the end by thel ap being at an angle to the end; in other words, the end with the iiap is similar in construction and function to a steel channel or I-beam which though consisting of a thin web is rendered stiff and strong by means of the lflanges on the ends.

It should be noted, however, that this strengthening function of the flaps is at its maximum when the .end section is maintained in its normal plane, and the strengthening function of the flaps is reduced when the body ofthe end-section is distorted or bent out of its normal plane. The wires I0, which are stapled to the body of the end section, extend across the end section, and are hooked to opposite box sides, not only serve to connect the end section to the box sides, but also resist bulging or bending of the-end section and serve to maintain it in its normal plane, thus permitting the iiaps to continue their maximum strength- .ening function under stresses and strains which, in the absence of the wires, would distort the end section out of its normal plane. In other words, the wires cooperate with the flaps to increase the holding. power of the end section and thus increase the resistance to rough handling of the end section and the box as a whole.

It will be understood that the linvention is not to be limited to the particular embodiment shown for purposes of illustration as the inventive features may be variously embodied without departing from the invention. For example, the illustrative box is four-sided and the end section is section may be provided with one flap or two iiaps or more than two flaps, depending upon the degree of stiffness or strength required.

It will also be understood that all of the features of the invention need not be used conjointly as they may be used in various combinations as defined in the sub-joined claims.

I claim:

. 1. A wirebound berboard box comprising four side sections connected together by encircling flexible binders secured to the side sections; interior cleats secured to the side sections to provide an interior cleat frame at each end of the box; and an end section located within the cleat frame at each end of the box, each end section comprising a sheet of berboard substantially as wide as the inside width of the box and longer than the inside depth of the box, the top and bottom of the end section being bent inwardly of the box and held in bent position by the top and bottom of the box respectively, and flexible binders extending across and secured to the end section and connected to opposite side sections o the box.

. 2. A box comprising la plurality of side sections connected together and having interior cleats to provide an' interior cleat frame at an end of the box and a berboard end section located within the cleat frame and having a iiexlble binder secured thereto and connected to opposite side sections and having also a flap bent at an angle to the body` of the end section and extending into the interior of the box.

3. A box comprising a plurality of side sections connected together and an end section closing an end of the box, the end section having a flap bent at an angle to the body of the end section and extending into the interior of the box, and a exible binder secured to and extending across the end section and connected to opposite box sides. f

4. In a box having a cleat frame at one end thereof, a fiberboard end section located within the cleat frame and substantiallyV in contact therewith,.the end section having a iiap bent at an angle to the body of the end section and extending into the interior of the box, and a flexible .binder secured to and extending across the end section and connected to opposite sides of the cleat frame.

5. In a box having a cleat frame at one end thereof, an end section located within the cleat frame and having a flap bent at an angle to the body of the end section and extending into the interior of the box and also having a exible binder secured to the end section and connected to opposite sides of the cleat frame.

6. In a box having a cleat frame at one end thereof, an end section located within the cleat frame and secured theretoby wires stapled to the end section and connected to the cleat frame, the end section having a iiap bent at an angle to the body of the end section and extending into the interior of the box. y

EARL R. STIVERS. 

